Improved double-acting spring-hinge



To all w21/0m `1325 my concern,.- Be `it known that I, THEODORE F.ENGEL] BRECHT, of the city, county, and State of New l UNITED STATES..

PATENT OFFICE "THnoDoRE F, ENGELBRlicHn oF NEW YORK, N Y."

JJIMPROVED DOUBLE-ACTING SPRING-HINGE,

i Speciiication forming part of Letters PatentNo. `7,953, dated February25, 1851i.

York, have made a certain newand useful Improvement,A being `aSelf-Acting Springf Hinge for theEntrance-Doors of Hotels and i otherBuildings," and I dollerebydeclaretthe following to be a `full andcleardescription thereof, reference being had to the annexed drawings,makingpart` of this specificationl Figure l represents asectionalelevation of the door and door-frame, showing the springllinge. Fig. 2is a vertical section through the spring-hinge, the door being in aclosed position. is a vertical section, the door y being opened fromtheoutside and the upper spring being contracted lengthwise its coil andunwound. Fig. @is a horizontal section lbl showing`thespindle,tumbler,and inclined ,.plane.. 1. f

The same letters on the above Iigures indis cate thesanie parts.

The cylindicalcase which forms the "hinge" and within which the spindle,`cylindrical ro tating tumbler, and springs are inclosed con` sists ofthree parts or `sections AB C,the parts or sections lettered A C'beingsecured to aplate 1).which isconined by screw-bolts to the frame of thedoor, andthe part or ceny tral section B, which is confined bymeans of,rims or flanges d a, projecting from said central' section B andiitting into grooves correl sponding with the rimsor flanges in themad-`jacent ends pot` the parts or sections A C,is

l the upper section A of the case, by which the spindle F is preventedfrom turning during the opening and closing ofthe door. The middle ofthis `spindle F islincreased in `diameter to form acylindrical` shoulderH, on

the upper end of which is formed an inclined plane I, commencing from apoint c near the middle of the length 'of said shoulder and eX- tendingon either side of the spindle to the topofthesame. l w

` J is a rotating cylindrical tumbler open at both ends and made to fitover the cylindrical shoulder H of the spindle F and provided with aheart-shaped projection Kon its innerV i side for the purpose of passingover said in-` clined plane I on the opening and closing of the door,the movement ofsaid heart-shaped `projection being from the lowest pointof the inclined plane I to a point diametrically opf posite, as shown inFig. 3,rhe object of which is to allow the door to lind its own centeror `be checked inits movement when the point i of the heart-shapedprojection shall have passed the lowest point of theinclined plane, i

and thus the door isclosed and held in that position by means oftheinclined planeI and i proj eetion K of theI cylindrical rotatingvtumr;

`been opened from the outside the spring L will be contracted lengthwiseits coil and at` the same time be unwound, andthelower springlVI will bewound up and expanded lengthwise its coil, and will' `thus force the"door `closed y on Vbeing relieved.

section or partCof -the case, one end of which is secured to thecylindrical rotating tumbler J and the other end in the end ofthesection C ofthe case in such a manner that .when the door G shall havebeen opened from the inside the spring Mwill` be `unwound andat the sametime be expanded and will force the door closed on being relieved. `Thesprings L M do not act independently, but assist each other, one beingcontracted lengthwise .its

coil and wound up, while the other is eX- panded and unwound during theopening and closing of the door. The upper springL may be made strongerthan the lower one for the purpose of preventing the door from beingopened by the outside.

The spindle F, in connection with the cy` l lindrical rotating tumblerJ, is made to `rise and fall alternately (the spindle moving down l andthe tumbler up) during the passage of the heart-shaped projection K overthe inl clined plane I sufficiently to impart to the L `is a `helical`spring inclosed in the upper l section or part A ofthe case, one end ofwhich'` t,

is attached vto the Vcylindrical rotating tum-i` bler J "and theotherend to the cap-nut Gjin such a manner. that whenthedoor shall have M isa helical `spring confined in the lower l pressure of the wind from thesprings L M a contraction Aand expansion lengthwisetheir coil inconnection with the Winding up and unwinding of said springs, by whichthey are made to act by torsion and expansion by the motion 'of the doorin either direction, and thus each spring is made to have the effect ofvtwo in closing the door. The middle section B of the hinge-case isprovided with a slot N .to receive-.the head ot a pin or screw O,screwed into the tumbler J, to allow the tumbler to rise and fall inconnection with the movement of `the spindle F, and by which screw thetumbler 'J is secured to the central section B of the hinge-case andcaused to rotate therewith when the door shall have been vopened -orclosed. These sprin g-hin ges may be-entirely concealed With-- in thedoor and .door-frame,wand4 thus relieve the door from the appearance ofhinges and springs ordinarily employed, `the hinge being a cylindricalsectional case confined in the door andv inclosinglthe springs, spindle,and tumbler, so i thatthe whole is concealed from View, the edge of thedoor being convex and made t0 iitla corresponding concax'ity in thedoor-frame. .1.

Having thus described my improvements in the spring-hinge for theentrancedoors ot' hotels, &c., I wish it'tobe understood that I do notclaim the combination of an adjustable curved inclined plane with aportion of a hinge and an adjustable bearing-rollervwith the otherportion of the hinge; but

What I do claim as new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

The manner ot' combining thel vhelical springs L and Mwith thecylindrical rotating tumbler J and cylindrical sectional case, so thatby the rotation of the cylindrical tumbler J the heart-shaped projectionK will be made to traverse over the inclined' plane I and cause thetumbler J to Vrise and fall, and thus compress and expand the helicalsprings lengthwise their coil and simultaneously therewith wind andunwind said helical springs around the spindle F, and thus cause them toact (by the motion of the door in either direction) by torsion andexpansion to close the door wh en it shall have been opened, asdescribed and represented.

In testimony whereof n I have `hereunto signed my name before twosubscribing Witnesses.

THEODORE F. ENGELBRECHT.

Vitnesses:

A. E. H. JoHNsoN, J. L. SMITH.

